Column and Lever Construction for a Charactered Telephone

The present invention relates to the art of telephones in general and, in particular, to a column and lever construction particularly useful in charactered telephones.

Charactered telephones are telephones having a fanciful character as an integral part of the telephone. The fanciful character makes the telephone an appealing consumer item.

A telephone ringer, dialer, network, and hook switch must be housed in a base housing.

For maximum impact, the character of the telephone stands freely from the base housing. The character must be supported against various in-use loads. For example, a character comparatively tall with respect to the base housing can be subjected to lateral loads which induce substantial moment loads between the character and the base housing.

It is highly desirable to provide a uniform base housing and functional accoutrements so as to be able to accept characters of different personality without changing the base housing and other functionals.

Part of the appeal of a charactered telephone is the ability to use something of the character while using the telephone. That is, to implement the character functionally into the telephone instrument is desirable. This must be done without loss of the appeal of the particular character being used.

The present invention provides a column construction mounted on a base and adapted for mounting a fanciful character or figure. The character integrates into the telephone instrument functionally by having an appendage movable through an arc, which supports a telephone handset, and transmits "off-hook" and "on-hook" signals to a telephone network in the base housing.

In general, the present invention comprises a base housing and a column extending upwardly from the base and attached thereto. The column carries a translatable actuator actuated by a pivotally mounted lever. The lever mounts to the column above the base housing on a pivot bracket that is laterally displaced from the axis of the column so as to develop considerable linear movement of the lever with a small amount of angular displacement. The lever extends away from the column on the side thereof opposite the pivot. This extension mounts the appendage. The appendage holds the handset. Means sensitive to linear movement of the lever transmit the off- and on-hook signals to the telephone network in the base. Preferably, these means comprise a linear actuator. Means attach a fanciful character to the column.

A particular form of the invention has a collar of the lever receiving the column. A tab extends inwardly of the collar for bearing on a finger of the linear actuator with sliding engagement. The sliding engagement of the finger with the tab allows the latter to move purely linearly. This engagement is on the diametric opposite side of the column from the pivot bracket. The lever attaches an arm and hand of the character on the same side of the column as the finger engaging tab. The hand of the character can clasp and hold a telephone handset. The weight of the handset rotates the lever down to push the actuator and indicate an "on-hook" condition. Biasing means acting on the actuator rotate the lever in the opposite direction, upwardly, when the handset is "off-hook." The arm then raises and lowers and forms a part of the functional equipment of the telephone. The pivot bracket attaches to the side of the column and defines a pivot for the lever considerably to one side of the column. The lever, then, extends to each side of the column and, through the collar, receives the column. The comparatively small angular sweep of the arm still produces considerable linear displacement of the arm predominantly in the vertical. The arm then mimics the character with great fidelity and does not interfere with the body or head of the character.

A particular construction of the present invention has the column split along its major or longitudinal axis and united together on longitudinal flanges as by sonic welding. A window in the top of the column passes the actuator finger that bears on the tab of the lever. Opposite this bearing, the lever pivotally mounts on the pivot bracket, which itself mounts along the column by a pair of hooks and a threaded fastener. The pivot bracket has a cup proximate its bottom with a recess longitudinal with respect to the column. Mounting ribs extending laterally of the column bear on the pivot bracket. A pair of slots in the column receive the hooks of the pivot bracket and accept some longitudinal movement of the base with respect to the column. An indexing tab on the column indexes in a slot of the pivot bracket of the pivot for lateral stabilization before hook engagement. The ovular cup permits relative movement also. During assembly the pivot bracket can be proximated to the ribs with the cup in receipt of a fastener boss of the column and the hooks of the pivot bracket in the slots. The pivot bracket can then be moved longitudinally so that the hooks engage the column and the cup abuts the boss. A threaded fastener through the cup and into the boss secures the bracket to the column.

A strap of the pivot bracket passes a fastener which attaches the character to the column. The strap provides the sole fastening device of the character to the column and base housing, other than pedestal support that the base can provide.

A web of the lever extends between upstanding wings of the pivot bracket. Keepers parallel the web and retain a pivot pin in a pivot pin boss at the extreme end of the web. Slots in the wings receive the pivot pin, but pivot stability comes from the boss engaging an upright wall and a platform wall of the bracket, both walls spanning the wings.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description, appended claims and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view, generally in elevation and partly broken away, of a column and base housing of the present invention together with a character or figure integrated into the column and base housing, showing the general overall organization of the combinations together with the laterally displaced pivot of the actuating lever;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation of the column mounted on the base housing;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view in half section of the column taken 90.degree. to the view of FIG. 2 and with only a fragment of the base being shown;

FIG. 4 is a view in bottom plan showing the attachment of the column to the base;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view, partly in half section and fragmented, of the column and pivot bracket construction of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a view in plan looking downwardly on the pivot bracket of the invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,985 to Council A. Tucker describes a unique column construction for upright telephones. This construction employs a guide tube which loads a cap, a column, and base adapter in compression. The guide tube itself is in tension. A connection between the bottom of the guide tube and the base housing of the telephone completes the load path necessary to give this compression-tension relationship.

The Tucker patent employs principles employed here in the integration of the column and base, as will be described in detail as this description proceeds.

The first Figure shows a general organization of the column, base housing, and character construction of the present invention. There, a column 10 mounts on a base housing 12 so as to extend vertically therefrom and off from a vertical centerline of the base. The base housing receives and houses the telephone components of a telephone dialer, ringer, network, and hook switch. A telephone handset 14 wires into the components in the base through a cord 16. The column attaches to the base with the tension and compression cooperation of a guide tube and column in the manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,985.

A character or FIG. 18 stands on a horizontal surface 19 of the base housing and attaches to the column. An appendage in the form of an arm 20 and hand 21 of the character can reciprocate back and forth through a limited angular path. The down position of this path corresponds to a handset "on-hook" position which signals the telephone components in the base housing that the handset of the telephone is not in use and is "hung up." The "up" position of the hand and arm indicates to the mechanisms in the base housing that the telephone handset is off the hook and in use. The angular displacement of the arm is comparatively small, but the linear displacement of the arm is comparatively large. This large displacement is used to signal the telephone handset "on-hook" and "off-hook" conditions. The limited angular displacement of the arm gives the arm a realistic swing and keeps the telephone handset away from the body and head of the character. The ends of a comparatively large linear displacement with small angular displacement are met by having the arm connected to and part of an actuating lever 23 and pivoting the lever at 24 substantially to one side of an axial longitudinal centerline 25 of the column.

In general, the telephone handset is cradled in hand 21 of the character and this rotates the actuating lever counterclockwise in FIG. 1 and signals an "on-hook" condition. Lifting the telephone handset from the hand of the character allows a biasing spring in column 10 to force the actuator lever clockwise in FIG. 1 and raise the hand. This indicates an "off-hook" condition.

A leg 26 of the character contains and passes column 10. The balance of the column above the base housing is hidden in the torso of the character.

The character shown in the Figures is licensed to the assignee of this application by Walt Disney Productions Inc. for use with telephone instruments.

With particular reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the column construction of the present invention is illustrated in detail. There, column 10 has two generally semi-cylindrical shells 40 and 42. These components attach to each other on abutting welding flanges 44, 46, 48 and 50 of the shells. Additionally, diametrically disposed and laterally extending ears 52 and 54, formed in flanges 44 and 46, receive threaded fasteners 56 and 58 to securely close the shells at their tops. This securing is important because of a guide tube discussed later. A column base 60 defined by a section which is mostly frusto-conical meets cylindrical section 62 of the column. The frusto-conical base of the column ends at a right cylindrical foot section 64 of major diameter proximate the bottom of the column. An annular clamping ring 65 extends radially of cylindrical foot section 64. 90.degree. spaced-apart backing ribs 67 extend between the clamping ring and the foot section to stiffen the ring. An annular step 66 at the bottom of the clamping ring includes an axial, annular flange 68 received in a bore 70 of the base housing. A radial surface 72 of the step rests on a horizontal and complementary surface 73 of the base housing and extends for a full 360.degree. around the bottom of the column. Surface 72 is the clamping surface of the clamping ring. Flange 68 does not extend as far and is interrupted by a space 74 that passes an actuator button 76 of an actuator sleeve 78. Actuator sleeve 78 is capable of pure linear motion parallel to longitudinal axis 25 of the column. A relief 82 in the column base assures that the actuator sleeve does not bind on the column shell, and actuator button 76 is free to act on a hook switch (not shown) of the equipment in the base housing. In FIG. 2, index tabs 84 and 86 extend radially of flange 68 for receipt in complementary slots or keyways in the base housing. This angularly locks the column with respect to the base.

The column then is composed of two shells joined together along a longitudinal plane of the column. The column sets upon the base and has a longitudinal flange received in a hole of the base. The column locks angularly with respect to the base by tabs in keyways. An actuator sleeve in the column passes into the base by an actuator button to engage the switch of components housed in the base housing.

With primary emphasis on FIG. 3, a guide tube 90 extends the length of the column and has a flared upper end 92 which bears on a complementary tapered bearing surface or seat 94 at the top of the column. Threads 96 at the bottom of the guide tube receive a pair of nuts 98 and 100. Nut 98 bears on a bowed spring washer 102, which in turn bears on a heavy washer 104. Washer 104 receives in an annular recess 106 of the housing. A horizontal annular surface 108 of this recess bears compressively against the washer. A longitudinal annular surface 110 bounding the recess centers and captures the washer. Bowed washer 102 couples the guide tube to heavy washer 104 and permits some dimensional accommodation in the longitudinal direction while retaining the tension-compression coupling of the column to the base. Flare 92 is struck at 111 to develop a tab which indexes in a longitudinal keyway 113 at the top of the column. Thus the guide tube will not rotate when nuts 98 and 100 are installed. Column 10 reduces in diameter through a frusto-conical transition section 115 to a neck 117. This neck clears the outside surface of guide tube 90 below and adjacent to flare 92. A cutout 112 in washer 104 passes and guides actuator button 76. A hole 120 in heavy washer 104 passes the guide tube.

Actuator sleeve 78 includes upper centering semi-ring 124 and lower centering semi-ring 126. These rings extend laterally from the main body of the actuator sleeve for receipt of the guide tube. Complementary bearing shoulder sets 128 and 130 inside rings 126 and 124, in the sense of the main body of the actuator, bear on the inside of the guide tube. An intermediate stiffening shoulder 132 is located between shoulders 128 and 130 clearing the guide tube. Each bearing shoulder set has a U-shaped bearing surface for bearing on guide tube 90. The open end of the "U" faces the open end of the semi-rings and together the U-shaped bearing surface and semi-rings cooperate to give substantially complete 360.degree. bearing on the guide tube. Each bearing set comprises a pair of individual shoulders with each shoulder defining a U-shaped bearing surface. Thus the actuator pilots on the guide tube and is retained by the guide tube from moving radially of axis 25.

In FIG. 3, a compression spring 134 acts between an upper surface of heavy washer 104 and lower bearing shoulder 128 to bias the actuator sleeve upwardly in the Figure. A centering tab 136 axially depends from bearing shoulder 128 and keeps the spring concentric with axis 25.

As seen in both FIGS. 3 and 5, a finger 138 extends upwardly from an integral connection with the balance of actuator sleeve 78. As seen in FIG. 5, the finger has a rounded nose 140 for sliding engagement with an inwardly extending tab 142 of lever 23. A relief 143 in the column prevents the finger and the actuator from binding on the column shell.

As seen best in FIG. 5, a window 144 passes nose 140 of the actuator. An upper stop 146 extends laterally from shell 42 of the column and axis 25 for engagement by lever 23 and a determination of the lever's maximum upper position. A bottom stop 148 of the shell at the bottom of window 144 and extending laterally away from axis 25 determines the lowest position of the lever. The wall of relief 143 axially backs lower stop 148.

As seen in FIG. 3, a window 149 opens through the wall of the column for access to the actuator sleeve by a probe.

With reference again to FIG. 5, an indexing tab 152 of shell 40 extends laterally away from axis 25 to be received in a slot of pivot bracket 154. A fastener and indexing boss 156 also extends laterally of axis 25 below index tab 152 for the mounting of the pivot bracket assembly. As seen in FIG. 2, ribs 162 and 164 extend laterally of column 10, and tab 152 is midway between them.

With reference in general to FIGS. 1, 2, 5 and 6, pivot bracket 154 has a vertical wall 160 for bearing against the laterally extending ribs 162 and 164 of column 10. Wall 160 has a slot 163 for receipt of indexing tab 152 medially of the pivot bracket and column. A platform wall 165 extends generally laterally from wall 160 to an offset vertical wall 166.

A pair of upstanding wings 168 and 170 extend inwardly from vertical wall 166 and upwardly from generally horizontal wall 165. Each of these upstanding wings has a comparaively long and narrow slot typified comparatively slot 172 in wing 168 shown in FIG. 1. These slots receive a pivot pin 174. A pivot boss 176 of a web 178 of lever 23 bears against back wall 166. As seen in FIG. 5, this bearing determines the position of the lever away from axis 25. The interior edge of the slots engage pivot pin 174 and determines the closest position of the pivot to axis 25. The upper and lower edges of the slot determines the vertical position of the pivot pin.

The pivot boss is generally cylindrical with core slots 183 and 184 in its top and a single core slot 185 medially between these two in the bottom.

Web 178 is reinforced in the vertical by a pair of spaced-apart, generally laterally extending gussets 187.

Keeper fingers 179 and 180 extend along the outside of wings 168 and 170 to keep pin 174 within pivot boss 176.

Web 178 extends from boss 176 to a generally ovular ring-like collar 186. This collar receives the top of column 10. It is from the inside of this collar that tab 142 extends to engage nose 140 of finger 138. An upper pad 190 of collar 186 bears on stop 146 in column 10 to limit vertical travel of the lever. A pad 192 on the lower side of collar 186 bears on stop 148 to limit travel in a downward direction of the lever. The lever extends as an arm laterally away from the column opposite the pivot to receive arm 20 and hand 21 likeness of the character.

FIG. 5 shows a reinforcing backing rib 194 which extends between platform wall 165 and vertical wall 160 to stabilize the platform. There are two of these ribs and they parallel each other. Wings 168 and 170 also extend between the horizontal platform wall and the vertical wall for this reinforcing function.

The pivot bracket mounts onto the column by a fastener 202 and a pair of hooks 204 and 206 which extend from wall 160. The hooks pass through registered slots in the column, shown at 208 and 210 in FIG. 2. The slots are comparatively long so as to permit vertical movement of the pivot bracket with respect to the column with the hooks in the slot. A cup 212 of the mounting base is long and comparatively narrow so that the vertical movement just mentioned can be accommodated by the cup. In mounting, wall 160 is contacted with lateral ribs 162 and 164 of the column and the hooks passed into slots 208 and 210. In this posture, cup 212 receives boss 156. The pivot bracket is then moved upwardly relative to the column so that the hooks engage reinforcing pads 214 on the inside of the column and the ovular slot of the cup bottoms on boss 156. The fastener is then driven home and the assembly is integrated.

A strap 220 passes a fastener which attaches the character to the column and from this attachment attaches the character to the base.

With particular reference to FIG. 2, base housing 12 is an enclosure walled on all sides for containing the telephone dialing equipment. A canted dialing deck 226 for a dialer or push buttons rises from a generally horizontal roof 228 of the base housing. A decorative piece 230 sets in a recess of the base housing roof.

The present invention has been described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment. The spirit and scope of the appended claims should not, however, necessarily be limited to the foregoing description.